Multicombination lock device



April 24, 1951 BERGER 2,549,882

MULTICOMBINATION LOCK DEVICE Filed March 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 24, 1951 |M BERGER 2,549,882 MULTICOMBINATION LOCK DEVICE Filed March 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Ill/III llll/I/l Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED srATEs PATENT oEFIcE MULTICOMBINATION LOCK DEVICE Martin Berger, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 10, 1950, Serial N0. 148,985

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to locks and more particularly to the type which is keyless and whose combination can be changed.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved keyless lock having no prearranged combination, but whose combination is determined at each use of the lock, and whose combination at each use may be different without any necessity of opening the casing to make a setting of components.

Another object hereof is to provide a lock of the character mentioned, of novel and improved construction, capable of a large number of combinations, one of which is chosen at each use of the lock.

Another object hereof is to provide a novel and improved lock of the nature set forth, which when locked by choosing of a certain combination therefor, can be unlocked in only one certain manner, but will remain locked even if the chosen combination is included as part of another combination attempted to accon plish opening the look.

A further object hereof is to provide a novel and improved lock of the type described, which is adapted when in locked condition, to maintain the electrical ignition system of an automobile, inoperative, or otherwise to control an electrical circuit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved lock of the class set forth, which is reasonably cheap to manufacture, easy to use, and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of refference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lock embodying the teachings of this invention. Here; extending from the casing, can be seen a series of slidably mounted, spring-loaded plungers which are used for setting the combination to lock and unlock the device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken at lines 2-2 in Fig. l. The lock is here shown in open condition. The tumblers are not in engagement with what may be called the bolt, and for compactness, are arranged in two rows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at lines 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the bolt member included in this embodiment.

Figs. 5 through 8, will be used to explain the operation of the lock. All tumblers are of identical contruction and function. These views show how a tumbler functions at the several stages of operation. The bow-piece or shackle which is carried on the bolt member, isshown in a diiferent plane than in previous figures, in order to attain clarity "of illustration. All these views show a part of the mechanism as seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view which shows how the bolt remains in locked position when the lock is tampered with by one who does not know the chosen combination.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary partly section side view showing a modified form of bolt member.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a means included to facilitate the setting of the desired combination.

In the drawings, the numeral I5 designates generally the casing for the lock 16, which is here shown in the form of a padlock whose shackle I! extends upwardly from the bolt member denoted generally as l8. The bolt member is slidably mounted in the vertical channels I 9 which are opposite each other on the interior of the side casing walls. Said bolt is maintainedor urged to upward position by means of the compression coil springs 20 which rest on the welded-in bottom or closing member 21 of the casing. The shackles stem H is slidable through a suitable hole in the top wall of the casing, while its free end is adapted to set engagingly into the socket 22 when the lock is to be in closed condition, which occurs when any number of the tumblers engage the bolt member l8 as in Fig. 7. Extending from the front wall of the casing, are a plurality of spring-loaded slidably mounted plungers as 23, 2d and 25. Each of said plungers is associated with a slidably mounted tumbler as 26, 2'! and 28 respectively. The bolt member shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is primarily a bar of H-shaped cross section. Said bar is horizontally positioned with the sides of the H form horizontal. When the number of tumblers are comparatively few, one H bar is sufficient, but when the number of tumblers are many, they are arranged in two rows one over the other with an H bar for each row. Hence the structure of Fig. 4 which has one such bar 29 for the lower row of tumblers, and a second H bar 33) for the upper row. All this, makes for a compact lock structure as is evident. Said bars 29 and 30, are assembled with the spacer elements 3| to form a unitary structure, with said bars in proper spaced relation. All units including a plunger, tumbler and associcated elements being identical, description of one such unit will sufiice for all.

The unit structure mentioned, is denoted generally by the numeral 32, and includes a plunger 23 whose headed end 23' is piston-like slidable within a tubular housing member 32 which houses and serves as a track for the slidable tumbler 25. This housing member 32 is positioned within the casing l6, perpendicular to the bolt bar at, perpendicular to the line of movement of said bar, to one side of said bar and also so that the tumbler 2B is below the plane of the underside of said bar when the lock is in open condition as in Figs. 2 and 5. The housing member is suitably secured through a partition 33 interior 'the casing. This partition forms the chamber 34 in the front portion of the casing. The plunger 23 is slidably mounted through and extends forwardly outwardly from the front wall of the casing. The tumbler 26 is free to slide outwardly of the housing "member 32, to lie across and under the 'bar 33.

About midway interior the tubular housing member 32, is fixed the ring element 35, as an interior flange to serve as a stop for the tumbler 2i, and also as a seat for the stressed compression coil spring 35 which latter acts against the head 23' of the plunger 23. From the inner cupped-face of the head 23, there extends towards the tumbler 28, a comparatively short tubular piece 38 which can clear the ring element 35. Interior the'tubular piece 38 and the spring 3%, there is a coil spring 3! which can be stressed both in tension and .compression. The ends of this spring 31 are respectively anchored to the tumbler 2G and the plunger head 2.3.

' The tumbler in the embodiment shown, is of flat stock, whose body terminates at its end nearest the bolt bar 30, in the form of a T whose top bar lies in the line of movement of said tumbler. The tumbler may be moved, as is accomplished by pushing in the plunger 23. so that said top bar denoted by the numeral All, lies beyond the bolt bar. Now, with the tumbler so moved, the shackle i? may be manually lowered to closing-position as in Fig. 6, to rest on an intermediate portion of the body of the tumbler, where upon return movement ofthe tumbler 25, the end 48' of the bar 38, which end is inwardly of the ends of the tumbler, will engage the bolt bar 39 on the'side thereof which is furthest from the housing tube 1 2, as in Fig. '7. The action of spring 31, stressed in tension will maintain such engagement and the lock 16 will be in closed condition, until the'tum-blr 26 is made to assume the position shown in Fig. 6, when the springs 2.! will restore open'position of the shackle l7, since the bolt bar is released from the tumbler.

It is to be noted "that while the bolt bar is engaged by one of thetumblers as in Figs. 7

most outwardly position of the casing, due to action of the spring 35. If the condition is as shown in Fig. 6 upon such return movement of the plunger, the tumbler 28 will assume engaging position as in Fig. 7. If the condition is as shown in Fig. 8 upon return movement of the plunger, the tumbler will return to normal rest position as shown in Fig. 5.

In use, for instance, the lock is hung with its shackle l'i passed through eyescrews mounted respectively on .a door and its jamb. The user sets the combination he desires, by pushing in and holding in, certain predetermined plungers. Now he pushes the shackle to closing position. The condition of the lock and the position oi all tumblers moved, is now as shown in Fig. 6. Manual hold on the plungers is now released, whereupon they automatically return to original rest position as in Fig. 2, and the condition of the lock is as in Fig. '1, locked.

To open the lock, he ,pushes and holds in, all the plungers used originally for setting the combination. This brings the lock to the condition shown in Fig. 6. The springs 26 now shift the shackle I? to open position, and upon release of hold on the plungers, the lock will be in open condition as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Suitable indicia as letters or numerals on the casing I5 adjacent the respective plungers, or on the plungers proper, should be provided to identify the plungers.

If in an attempt to open the look. only plungers of the set combination, but not all of them, are pushed in, the lock will not open because the tumblers associated with the plungers omitted, will remain in engagement with the bolt member 53 as in Fig. 7, though those associated with plun ers operated at such attempt will be shifted to assume the position as in Fig. 6. Upon release of the plungers operated at such attempt, all the shifted associated tumblers will again assume engaged position as in Fig. 7, and the set combination is intact.

If in an attempt to open the look, only one or more but not all of the plungers of the set combination are pushed in together with one or more plungers which are not of the set combination, then the lock will not open because the tumblers associated with the plungers omitted of the set combination will remain in engagement with the bolt member I8 as previously explained, and all tumble-rs pushed in which were not of :the combination, will merely assume the position of tumbler 2'! as in Fig. 8. Release of all plungers pushed. in in this attempt to open, will again restore the original combination.

If an attempt is made to open the look; by pushing in all the plungers of the set combination together with one or more plungers not of the set combination, the lock will not "open because, construction is such as will be later described, that upon release of all the plungers pushed in such attempt to open, those. tumblers of the combination will again engage thebolt member if; as in Fig. "L'befor'e those tumblers actuated and moved to position as in Fig. 8, will disengage the bolt member.

It is therefore evident that the lock will open only if only the plungers which were used to set the combination chosen for closing the lock, are pushed and held in, all together.

It is important that at any position of a plunger, regardless of the position of its associated tumbler, that there should be no perceptible difference in the force required to push the plunger, in order that'ther'e shall be no clue which would aid an unauthorized person to determine the set combination. To accomplish this,.the spring 36 isof such stiff nature that it will not be effected by any action of the spring 31 which isperceptible to the feel.

It isfto be noted that the end 40 of the Ts top bar 40 of the tumbler, is made so long, with the depth of channel or groove 4| in the bolt member to suit, that when one tumbler of the combination chosen, is made to shift to the position shown in Fig. 6 for tumbler 26, and another tumbler which is not of the combination chosen, is made to shift to the position shown in Fig. 8 for tumbler 21, that upon release of their associated plungers, the tumbler 26 will engage the bolt member l8 before the tumbler 21 goes out of engagement with said bolt member, as illustrated in Fig. 9. To accomplish this dimensions of the parts and the position of the stop bar 42 across the casing l5, are made to suit. Also to be noted, is that the bolt may be a plain bar 48 of rectangular cross section as shown in Fig. 10, instead of the bar 30 of H-shaped cross section, without affecting the operation of this device.

Thisdevice instead of being made and used as a look as explained, may be made to be used to open and close an electric switch for the control for instance of the ignition circuit for an automobile engine. Of course, no. shackle would be necessary, but there would be a fixed contact 43 onan-insulative element 44 mounted in the casing I5, and a second contact 45 on a blade spring 46 carried on the bolt member l8, so that in unlocked condition of the device as shown in Fig. 2, the switch contacts 43 and 45 are in contact, to make the said ignition circuit operative. Upon closing of the lock, said contacts would separate and the circuit is open. For such use the device would be mounted on a suitable surface, with provision through a suitable opening (not shown) in the bottom wall 2|, for conductors leading from said contact points, as is known in the art.

In the use of this lock l6, it is desirous that only one plunger need be manipulated by hand at one time. Hence, means are provided to hold in, plungers pushed in for closing, and then again at the opening of the lock, with provision that the pushed in plungers may be released as soon as the lock is closed or opened. For this purpose, in chamber 34, for each plunger there is a swingably mounted pawl or dog 41 pressed on by a blade spring 48. When a plunger is pushed in, its associated pawl 41 will engage it in the annular groove 49. To release such engaged plungers, the button 59 is pressed on, which action lowers the rods 58 which are across all the pawls, and causes said pawls to be swung out of engagement with the pushed in plungers, whereupon the stressed springs 36 will restore the plungers to their normal outward position.

It is of importance to note that all plungers can be pushed into the casing to identical positions with equal lengths of said respective plungers projecting forwardly of the casing, re-

gardless of whether the movement of the respec- 6 tive and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover. all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a lock device of the character described, a casing, a bolt reciprocatively mounted within the casing and a plurality of mechanisms, each comprising a tumbler reciprocatively mounted within the casing; the tumbler having a piece extending laterally therefrom, a first element extending from said piece towards the bolt and a second element extending from said piece away from the bolt; the tumbler at normal rest position being stationed whereby both said elements are to one side of the bolt; said tumbler being movable from normal rest position whereby both said elements are to other side of the bolt, a manually movable member extending in part outwardly from the casing a predetermined distance when in normal rest position; a spring interposed between the manually movable member and the tumbler, whereby upon movement of the said member from normal rest position to move said spring, the latter will move the tumbler from normal rest position, spring means to independently restore the manually movable member and the tumbler to their respective normal rest positions after all hold is released from said member and tumbler respectively after such member and tumbler are moved; the force required to stress the spring means acting to restore the manually movable member when said member is moved from normal rest position, being comparatively greater than the force exerted by the spring acted upon by the manually movable member to move the tumbler from normal rest position; the said first element on the tumbler, being adapted upon movement of the tumbler away from normal rest position, to engage the bolt when in looking position and to release itself from the bolt upon return of the tumbler towards normal rest position; the second element on the tumbler, being adapted upon movement of the tumbler from normal rest position so that both elements thereon lie to the other side of the bolt, to engage the bolt after said bolt is moved to the aforementioned locking position and the tumbler has moved in direction of return to its normal rest position; such engagement of the bolt by the second element, being maintained while the manually movable member is returned to and remains in its normal rest position; dimensions of the said elements and the bolt, and the extent of movement of the tumbler, being such that when the second element of any of the mechanisms engages the bolt and simultaneously the manually movable member of such mechanism and of any other mechanism are moved from normal rest position, the first element of the lattermechanism will engage the bolt before the second element of the first mechanism becomes disengaged from the bolt, and then upon simultaneous movement of said two manually movable members towards normal rest position, the second element of the first mechanism will re-engage the bolt before the first element of the second mechanism becomes released from the bolt, whereby when the bolt in engaged by any of said second elements, the bolt is releasable therefrom and free for movement, only when only all of the manually movable members associated with said engaged second elements are simultaneously held when moved away from normal rest position to move said secondelements out of engagement with the bolt,'ancl no other.

.2. A lock deviceas defined'inclaim 1,iincluding spring means to return the bolt to :a'normal -un"- locked position away from the tumblers .upon release of the bolt from engagement with all of the elements carried by'th'e tumblers.

3. A look device as defined in claim :1, :wherein theboltfis a bar whose movement is along a line in angular .relation'lwith the' length of said "bar and with the lines of movement of the tumblers.

llOCk device as defined in claim =1", wherein the-boltisa "bar whose movement :is alonga line perpendicular to the length of 'said bar, :and whereinlthezlines of movement of the tumblers amepa'rallel to each other andperpendicular to both the bolt and the line of movement of the bolt.

5. A lock device as defined in claim 1, wherein the manually movable member of each mechanism is .a plunger which is axially slidably mounted in alignment with its associated tumbler.

6. A lock device as defined in claim -1, wherein thespring interposed between the manually movablemember and the tumbler of each mechanism, is anchored to .both the tumbler and said member and is stressible in both tension and'compression and serves to return the tumbler to normal rest position uponrelease of said tumbler for movement towardssaid position.

"7. A look device as defined-in claim 1, wherein the boltis-a barwhich when engaged by any of the elements carried on a tumbler, lies directly adj acentthe piece carrying the element.

(8. A lockdevi-ce as defined in claim 1, wherein the bolt is a bar of H-shaped crosssection and so positioned-that it is adapted'to be engaged by any-of. the elements carried on the tumblers when such elements lie within one Of the longitudinal grooves in such bar.

9..A lock device as defined in claim 1, wherein the bolt is a bar and wherein the piece carried on a tumbler and the elements extending from said piece, in aggregate form a T-sha'ped component on-the tumbler; the bolt being so positioned when moved from normal unlockedposition theta part of the top member of the T-shapecl component isradapted to engage the bar and'hol'd it from returntonormal unlocked position.

- 1 0.. A lok device as. defined in claim l, wherein the 'bolt is a'bar of ll-(shaped cross section and wherein the piece carried oniai'tumbl'er and the elements extending from said piece, in aggregate form a r shaped component onthe tumbler ;:'the bolt being so positioned when moved from-inormal unlocked positi'o'nthat 1 partof the top' member of the T-sha ped component isadapted to enterone of the longitudinal grooves in thehoolt to engage-same and hold it from return to normal unlocked position.

11. A lock deviceas 'd'efined in claim :1, wherein the spring forreturning the manually movable member to normal rest position "and the spring interposed between'said member and the tumbler are coil springs stressible in compres'sionand positioned one within the other andincluding a tubular member positioned about one offi'said springs and within the other of said springs: the length of said tubular member being less'than'the shortest lengths to which said'springsare compressed when the manually movable member is shifted from normal rest position; said tubular member serving to prevent the turns of I said springs from meshing.

12. A lock device-as defined in claim 1 ,-'wherein each mechanism includes a releasable engaging means to hold the manually movable member in a predetermined position awayfrom normal res't position after the tumbler is moved Whereb'y 'the elements carried on the tumbler are positioned at the-other side of the bolt, and including manually operative means to shift all of said engaging means of all the mechanisms to-relea'se hold of all the manually movable members of said mechanisms, which are held away from normal rest position.

- MARTIN BERGER.

RBSFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in 'the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 937,285 CI'OSWBH Oct. 1951909 1,622,489 -Carnes =Maf. 29, 1,927 2,l'62;995 Bruington June 20,1939 

